The
Vault of Horror
23 (February-March 1952) is unique because it features two stories by the same
artist (Jack Davis), a scheduling rarity for EC. (Craig also had two stories in
Tales from the Crypt 19.)

One
might assume that Johnny Craig had the 1911 Triangle Factory fire in mind when
he drew “A Stitch in Time!”, especially since it was the subject of an
Oscar-nominated film, With These Hands (1950), directed by Jack Arnold with
Sam Levene, Arlene Francis, Alexander Scourby and Rolly Bester (wife of science
fiction, radio and comics writer Alfred Bester). The fire resulted in the
deaths of 146 garment workers who were trapped in the building or jumped to
their deaths during the deadliest New York City disaster until 9/11. However,
Craig stated that he only learned about the Triangle fire years later when he
saw a different film, probably The Triangle Factory Fire Scandal (1979) with Tom
Bosley and Stephanie Zimbalist. To see the American Experience documentary on the
Triangle fire, go to PBS.

Craig
was unfamiliar with the Triangle fire, but even so,

“A
Stitch in Time!” displays several conspicuous parallels with the 1911 tragedy,
suggesting that it was scripted by someone who knew New York
history. The Triangle fire reportedly began in a scrap bin, the focus of the
final pages in the story. The sweatshop owner is named Lasch, and the Triangle
fire took place in the ten-story Asch Building place at the corner of Greene
Street and Washington Place. In the last panel, the Vault-Keeper’s concluding
pun is a direct reference: “…don’t asch Lasch.” Although polished in both
script and art, the story has an obvious flaw, since the fire begins for no
apparent reason other than to heighten the finale with flames. What started
this fire? We are never told.

“Dead
Wait” and “Staired in Horror” and “99 44/100% Pure Horror!” were all adapted
for HBO’s Tales from the Crypt series. During the third season, “Dead
Wait” was telecast 3 July 1991 with a cast of James
Remar, Whoopi Goldberg, and John Rhys-Davies. In the sixth season of the HBO
series, “Staired in Horror” was telecast 14 December 1994 with a cast of Rachel
Ticotin, D.B. Sweeney and R. Lee Ermey. Also in the sixth season, “99
44/100% Pure Horror!” was telecast 18 January 1995
with a cast of Bruce Davison, Cristi Conaway and Darin Heames.